Homer Litzenberg

Homer Laurence Litzenberg Jr.
Homer Laurence Litzenberg Jr.
	Inspector General; Camp Lejeune; MCRD Parris Island
Battles/wars	Banana Wars Occupation of Haiti; Occupation of Nicaragua; World War II Operation Torch; Battle of Kwajalein; Battle of Tinian; Battle of Saipan; Korean War Battle of Inchon; Battle of Chosin Reservoir;
Awards	Navy Cross; Distinguished Service Cross; Silver Star (3); Legion of Merit

Homer Laurence Litzenberg (January 8, 1903 – June 27, 1963) was a

7th Marine Regiment during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir

.

Biography

Early years

Litzenberg was born in 1903 in Steelton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from high school in Philadelphia and served two years in the Pennsylvania National Guard.

Litzenberg began his Marine Corps career as an enlisted Marine, graduating from the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on October 5, 1922, as a private. After a tour of duty in Haiti, he was commissioned a second lieutenant on 19 February 1925. He served in expeditionary duty in Nicaragua in 1928 and 1929; and with Marine detachments aboard the USS Idaho (BB-24), USS Augusta (CA-31), USS Arkansas (BB-33), USS Arizona (BB-39) and USS New Mexico (BB-40).

He graduated from the

Fort Benning, Georgia in 1933, and subsequently served for two years as Advisor-Instructor of a Marine Reserve battalion in Philadelphia. He then spent two years in Guam as aide to the governor, head of the police department, and inspector-instructor of the Guam Militia. From 1938 to 1943, and again from September 1944 to May 1946, he served in Washington, D.C., in the War Plans Sections of the offices of the Chief of Naval Operations, the commander in chief, United States Fleet, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff

.

World War II

At the beginning of

French Morocco

in November 1942.

After his return to the United States, General Litzenberg organized and commanded the

3rd Battalion, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division. He later served as regimental executive officer during the assault on Roi-Namur, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, where he earned his first Silver Star. In March 1944, he joined the V Amphibious Corps as assistant operations officer, and participated in the Battle of Saipan and Battle of Tinian

.

Post-War years - Korea

In June 1946, the general was assigned to the staff of commander, Seventh Fleet, and served as Seventh Fleet liaison officer with General of the Army

Navy Cross

.

Post-Korean War

General Litzenberg returned to the United States in April 1951 and was assigned duties at

Inspector General

of the Marine Corps, and held this post at Headquarters Marine Corps, Washington, for thirteen months.

The general served next as commanding general, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, from December 1, 1955, until May 11, 1956, and then as commanding general, Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, from May 12, 1956, until March 15, 1957, when he returned to Korea. There, he served as senior member of the United Nations Command component of the Military Armistice Commission, negotiating with the Communists at Panmunjom. On his return from Korea, he was assigned his last tour of duty at Headquarters Marine Corps on December 7, 1957, as Inspector General of the Marine Corps, serving in this capacity until his retirement on May 31, 1959.

General Litzenberg completed the following service schools: Marine Corps Basic School, 1925; Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia, 1933; Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 1938; and the National War College, 1949.

His various ranks and the dates on which he was promoted are:

second lieutenant, February 1925
first lieutenant, March 1931
captain, March 1936
major, June 1940
lieutenant colonel, May 1942
colonel, May 1944
brigadier general, July 1, 1951
major general, July 1, 1954 (date of rank: July 1, 1951)
lieutenant general on the retired list, May 31, 1959.

Litzenberg died of cancer^[2] on June 27, 1963, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

There is a suite named in his honor at the bachelor officer quarters at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

Awards

Litzenberg's decorations include:

Navy Cross		Distinguished Service Cross		award star & 1 oak leaf cluster
valor device	Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal		Army Commendation Medal w/ 1 oak leaf cluster		Navy Presidential Unit Citation w/ 2 service stars
Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal	Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal		Nicaraguan Campaign Medal (1933)		China Service Medal
American Defense Service Medal	American Campaign Medal		European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal w/ 1 service star		Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 3 service stars
World War II Victory Medal	Navy Occupation Service Medal		National Defense Service Medal		Korean Service Medal w/ 3 service stars
Special Breast Order of Yun Hui	Order of Military Merit, Taeguk Cordon Medal		Korean Presidential Unit Citation w/ service star		United Nations Korea Medal

Notes

^ Drury & Clavin, The Last Stand of Fox Company p. 19
^ "Homer Litzenberg, General in Marines". New York Times. 1963-06-29. Retrieved 2022-10-16.

References

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.

Bibliography

Drury, Bob; Clavin, Tom (2009). The Last Stand of Fox Company. New York, N.Y.: Grove Press.
ISBN 978-0-8021-4451-5

External links

[1] Drury & Clavin, The Last Stand of Fox Company p. 19

[2] "Homer Litzenberg, General in Marines". New York Times. 1963-06-29. Retrieved 2022-10-16.

[2]

Military offices
Preceded by John H. Cook Jr.	Commanding Officer of the 6th Marine Regiment October 17, 1949 – July 7, 1950	Succeeded by Russell N. Jordhal
Preceded by Unit reactivated	Commanding Officer of the 7th Marine Regiment August 17, 1950 – April 15, 1951	Succeeded by Herman Nickerson Jr.

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	United States